The Howard County
I N
F O C U S
VOL.13, NO.6
F O R
P E O P L E
O V E R
The exhibition features hundreds of objects from Henson’s career: sketches, storyboards and early versions of now beloved characters. A 1969 sketch of Oscar the Grouch shows the same eyes as the finished character, and some of the early puppets on display resemble future Muppets.
PHOTO BY JOHN E. BARRETT. KERMIT THE FROG © DISNEY/MUPPETS. COURTESY THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/MOMI
A puppet innovator
5 0 JUNE 2023
More than 30,000 readers throughout Howard County
Recalling a beloved puppeteer By Tina Collins “As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us, that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.” These words by the late puppeteer Jim Henson set the stage for an immersive museum experience into his enduring entertainment legacy. Henson’s remarkable contributions to pop culture will be showcased at “The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited” — an exhibit that runs from May 26 to December 30 at the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) in downtown Baltimore. Marylanders consider Henson a native son, though he was born in Mississippi. In the late 1940s, his family moved to University Park, Maryland, where Henson, who attended Northwestern High School, first began entertaining friends and family with puppet shows. When Henson was a student at the University of Maryland, in the early 1950s, he created his first Muppet — a hybrid marionette and puppet. His first show, Sam and Friends, aired on local television, and a career was born. The traveling exhibition celebrates his creations, which span four decades and include The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and other beloved works.
FREE
I N S I D E …
LEISURE & TRAVEL
Make time for an adventure in vast, beautiful Alaska; plus, how to get what you really want from hotel selection apps page 16
This photo of the late Jim Henson, snuggling his iconic creation Kermit the Frog, shows him in front of a mural of his other puppet characters painted by Coulter Watt. An interactive exhibition on Henson’s life is on display now through December at the Maryland Museum of History and Culture in Baltimore.
One part of the exhibit shows how Henson innovated the primitive technique of puppeteering. For instance, he used cloth instead of wood, which made it easier to manipulate the puppet’s eyes, nose and
mouth into human expressions. Covering 5,000 square feet, the exhibition is immersive and interactive. Screens,
Sunday, October 15 • Noon to 4 p.m. Springfield Town Center
For sponsor or exhibitor info, call Gordon at 410-248-9101.
Artist Hal Boyd creates colorful, dreamlike paintings from his Baltimore studio page 19
See JIM HENSON, page 20
Springfield, Va. ȶȉȶȴ
ARTS & STYLE
Silver Spring, Md. Sunday, October 22 • Noon to 4 p.m. COMING BACK TO Silver Spring Civic Building
FITNESS & HEALTH k New drugs for weight loss k Lonely? Tips that can help
4
LAW & MONEY 14 k Earn higher, and safer, interest k Best book on retirement ADVERTISER DIRECTORY
23
PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE